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This Kung Pao Cauliflower is a delicious stir-fry that is spicy, hearty, satisfying, and comforting. It’s a great meat-free Chinese takeout alternative to Kung Pao Chicken! The Kung Pao sauce has the perfect combination of spicy, salty and sweet flavors which will make your mouth water. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, low in fat and calories, and can be made oil-free!
Kung Pao Cauliflower Stir-Fry
Hello dears, I am excited to share my first vegan Chinese recipe with you! I must admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Chinese food in the past. The salty/sweet combo tasted weird to me but my taste buds have changed and now I LOVE this flavor combination.
That’s why I have been busy in my kitchen lately, trying out different Chinese recipes. And this is the first one! Kung Pao Cauliflower – and let me tell you, I simply adore it and so does my boyfriend! Why should you give it a try? Because it’s…
- Packed with spicy, salty and sweet flavors
- A great meat-free alternative to Kung Pao Chicken
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
How To Make Kung Pao Cauliflower?
This recipe has only 8 steps which are easy to follow and not complicated at all. First, you allow the cauliflower a nice cozy bath in a batter made from chickpea flour, cornstarch, soy sauce, and water. While the cauliflower florets bake in the oven you can fry the bell pepper, garlic, fresh ginger and peppercorns in a skillet. Your kitchen will smell amazing!
You can serve the vegan Kung Pao with rice or rice noodles (both taste amazing!) and can prepare it according to the package instructions while the cauliflower is in the oven.
Meanwhile, you can also start making the spicy Kung Pao sauce which takes literary just 60 seconds. All you need to do is, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Then pour the sauce into the skillet, bring to a boil, and allow it to simmer for one minute.
Finally, add the roasted cauliflower to the skillet and give it a good stir. You can enjoy it right away. However, if you want the cauliflower to be crispy, transfer it back to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes! Check the easy instruction pictures below:
What about Kung Pao Tofu?
This spicy Kung Pao can be made with either cauliflower or tofu. I don’t eat tofu very often but if you want your Kung Pao to be packed with lots of plant-based protein you can use tofu. How to make Kung Pao Tofu?
The sauce and the ingredients for the skillet are the same but you can skip the baking part. Instead, you will need to press the tofu for about 15-20 minutes, slice it into cubes and fry it in a pan until nicely brown. You can try out both versions and let me know which one you preferred. 🙂
Spicy Kung Pao
Do you love spicy food? I know it’s super healthy and I like spicy food as long as it’s not too spicy. Yesterday I ate a whole dried chili (yes, the whole chili with the seeds) and almost fainted, haha. It was too much for my tastebuds. You can make this Kung Pao with 4-6 dried chilies which you can fry with the garlic, ginger, peppercorns, and bell pepper.
However, I would suggest removing the chilies before you pour in the sauce. If you don’t have dried chilies, simply use 1/4 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper. Not a fan of spicy meals? Leave it out completely for a mild Kung Pao Cauliflower.
Does it keep?
Yes! Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in a pan/skillet.
You Will Love This Kung Pao Cauliflower. It’s:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Spicy
- Sweet & Salty
- Satisfying
- Comforting
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Perfect for a weeknight dinner
- And it can be made oil-free
A Few Helpful Tips
- Serve it with Jasmine rice, Basmati rice or rice noodles
- Double the batch and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Use tofu instead of cauliflower for a protein-rich variation
Should you recreate this tasty spicy Chinese stir-fry, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! If you love spicy food, definitely also check out the following vegan spicy recipes:
Kung Pao Cauliflower
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1/2 cup (60 g) chickpea flour (*see recipe notes)
- 4 tbsp (30 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) plant-based milk
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (*see recipe notes)
- 1 medium (600 g) head of cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup of (120 ml) water
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (*see recipe notes)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (*see recipe notes)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4-1/3 tsp cayenne pepper OR 4-6 dried chilies (*see recipe notes)
For the skillet:
- 2 tsp oil or water
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
- 3/4-1 tsp peppercorns
- 1 small/medium bell pepper sliced into fine strips
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- fresh chives chopped
- peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- This recipe has a video below for easy visual instructions.
Batter:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl whisk together cornstarch, chickpea flour, plant-based milk, and soy sauce. Let it sit for about 1 minute, then add the cauliflower florets.
- Toss until all cauliflower florets are coated with batter. Transfer the cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes
Skillet:
- Heat oil (or water) in a skillet over low to medium heat, add garlic, ginger, peppercorns. Saute for 1 minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Next, add bell pepper and saute with a lid on for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more water if necessary (I used 1 tbsp).
Sauce:
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a medium/large bowl, combine water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Whisk.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet. Bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat for 1 minute. Add the roasted cauliflower florets and toss to coat.
- Transfer back to the baking sheet and bake for a further 10-15 minutes if you like the cauliflower to be crispy OR enjoy immediately.
- Serve with rice or rice noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds, fresh chives and peanuts (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
- Chickpea flour alternative: I would suggest using gluten-free all-purpose flour (or regular flour if not gluten-free) instead of chickpea flour (haven't tried it out though).
- Soy sauce: Use gluten-free if needed or tamari or coconut aminos. You can also use low-sodium soy sauce.
- Sweetener: You can use a sweetener of choice, e.g. maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar, etc.
- Use 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of cayenne pepper OR 4-6 dried chilies instead. If you prefer dried chilies, add them to the pan and fry together with garlic, ginger, peppercorns, and bell pepper. Then remove the chilies before you pour in the sauce, otherwise, the Kung Pao will be too spicy!
- Make sure to also check out my Sticky Teriyaki Tofu recipe.
- Recipe serves 2. Nutrition facts are for one serving (without rice or rice noodles).
If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photos:
This is delightful! Perfect amount of spice with the cayenne. I sprinkled on some panko breadcrumbs after the cauliflower was dipped in the batter and I did opt for a second batch of sauce. Also subbed cashews for the peanuts and paired with jasmine rice. Will make again for sure.
Sounds lovely! I am glad you enjoyed the dish. Thanks for your feedback, Tracee. 🙂
This was absolutely delicious. Even my picky son loved it. 🙂
That’s awesome! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Made this with my boyfriend tonight for my parents (who are keen meat eaters!) and blimey it was delicious. We doubled the recipe to serve 4 which worked well. I also loved that you didn’t need any unusual ingredients, we already had all of them in the cupboard. Only critique was maybe baking the battered cauliflower without greaseproof paper and with oil instead to get it crispier. Other than that it was so so delicious and we will definitely be making it again!!!
Sounds awesome! Thanks for your great feedback, Lucy! 🙂
I just tried it now. My sauce and batter wasn’t as watery as yours even thou I followed the recipe amounts. It turned out pretty good thou. I enjoyed it a lot even without the peanuts 🙂
Thanks!
I am glad it still turned out delicious. 🙂
This recipe is soooooo delicious it almost seems like it shouldn’t be that easy! I made it exactly as written, with the peanuts it had all the flavors I expected. Perfect!
Awesome! So glad you loved it. 🙂
This is delicious! I made it for lunch and it didn’t take that long, even with three kids around all demanding for my attention. I didn’t have chickpea flour, but it worked fine with wheat flour. And I had to use green beans instead of peppers as again had none to hand. My suspicious kids and husband, who had doubts that it would be as tasty as he remembers Kung Pao chicken when he used to be a meat eater, they were all impressed. So was I actually. Its crispy and sticky, salty and sweet, spicy and morish all at the same time. This is definitely a great way to eat cauliflower. I love all your recipes, they have never failed me. Thank you so much for sharing!
Wow, that’s wonderful, Elina! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for your awesome feedback. 🙂
Extremely delicious! My German and carnivore parents-in-law were so interested to know about the recipe once I told them it was vegan.
Thank you so much Ela!
Greetings from your homeland!
I am so glad you and your in-laws enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for your great feedback, Cintia. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was absolutely incredible! My only thing was that the second bake made them mushy, and not crispy. How weird. Not sure if I did anything wrong. Next time, I’ll just bake once and serve immediately. YUM!!
So glad you loved the dish! Thanks for your feedback, Kaitlyn. 🙂
I made this for dinner and we loved it. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
My pleasure, Kat! I am glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
This dish is an absolute favorite and staple in our house!!! So, so delicious.
Hi Jessica! I am so glad you like the Kung Pao. 🙂 Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
This was soooooo good, it definitely met all the feels for Kung Pao. Thank you Ela all your recipes I have made so far have been keepers. Currently making your chocolate muffins.
That’s awesome, Denise! I am glad you enjoyed the Kung Pao and I hope you will also like the muffins. 🙂
This is delicious! The only change I made was to add sugar snap peas to the red peppers. Will definitely make again.
Sounds so delicious with the sugar snap peas! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
This recipe is spot on. I’m a relatively new vegan (9mos) and my family of omnivores is often skeptical, however, this did not disappoint! I didn’t have dried chilis, so toward the end I wanted more heat and added Trader Joes chili pepper sauce along with the smoked paprika and cayenne. This resulted in a spicy version which I loved, by husband thought was a bit too spicy. Next time I’ll leave that off for my bowl only. The cauliflower cooked beautifully with the batter in the oven. I was going to try and air fry but I air fried some small edamame egg rolls in it and everyone loved the combo. Will definitely cook this again. Must try your sticky tofu soon!
Thank you for your great feedback, Susan! I am glad it was a hit in your house. 🙂
Hello! I am going to make this tomorrow. I have everything except for rice vinegar, can I substitute regular vinegar?
Yes, that’s fine! 🙂
This was good! A few of my personal notes are it needed more sauce and also needed to bake another 30 minutes or so. I baked it for 25 minutes, coated the cauliflower with sauce and then another 15 but was still not crispy enough for me! The whole process from chopping and getting the cauliflower ready to coating it in the batter, everything took way longer then expected.. Going in to my “not so quick” dinner ideas. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for your feedback, Angie! 🙂
Can this be done in an air fryer?
Hey! I never tried it but I believe it should work fine! Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
I made this recipe tonight and LOVED it! My husband and daughter tried it and liked it too. My husband said it changed the texture of cauliflower and I took that in a good way; it had a “meaty” texture in my opinion so it would definitely make a great main course (that’s how I enjoyed it). I put it back in the oven for 10 minutes after soaking up the sauce so I had to make a little extra sauce since I had it over plain white rice.Thanks for sharing all your amazing recipes!
That sounds awesome, Joany! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for your comment!. 🙂
My oh my! When I saw you post a picture of this gorgeous dish on Instagram, I immediately had to bookmark it. Yesterday I decided to make it. It was so easy and did not take up a lot of time. I had to for lunch today and I was not disappointed. Man oh man, I am in love with this dish. A friend even asked for the recipe, so I directed her to your website. I will definitely make this again.
Aww, that’s awesome! I am so glad it turned out delicious! Thanks for recommending my website dear. 🙂
Nice recipe!
However it is very annoying having to scroll through so many adds and filler text just to get to the actual recipe.
Hi Sergio! You can use the button “Jump to recipe” to jump straight to the recipe. The text contains tips and helpful information though!
Just made this for dinner and it was delicious! I was a little heavy handed with my chilli so it was a little hot for me ha ha. Very easy to make. Thanks for another great recipe!
My pleasure, Elaine! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
This is my new favorite meal. This was soooo good. My whole family loved it. I made it extra spicy and baked it twice which was definitely the right call! I’ve passed the recipe on to three friends who asked for it because my photo looked so amazing!
That sounds amazing, Lauren! Thanks so much for your great feedback! 🙂
I absolutely love the flavor! And am enjoying checking your receipts cause they are so simple and easy to make! 👍👍
Thanks so much, Medina! I am so happy you enjoy my recipes. 🙂 Happy cooking!
Look wonderful! Can I freeze this and heat it at a later time? Will it hold up alright?
It should freeze well, Desi, however, I haven’t tried it yet. 🙂
I had two big heads of cauliflower in the refrigerator so I tripled the batter. Then I quadrupled the skillet and sauce ingredients so I would have extra sauce for grains. The dried chilies gave the right pop of heat. I will definitely be making this again soon. Many thanks. Love recipes with a good kick to the tastebuds.
Sounds wonderful, Andrea! Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
I just finish eating this recipe! I doubled the sauce but didn’t double the amount of cayenne pepper and I’m very glad! It’s a hot dish and next time I will put less! I also add pineapple in it add a nice twist ! I put the cauliflower back also for 10 minutes! Thank you!
You are welcome, Julie! 🙂
Hello from Germany, this was our meal today and it was so delicious…….thank you so much for your great and amazing receipes…want to try them all.
That’s wonderful! I am very glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Hi! Can’t wait to try this, do you think I can use almond flour? That’s all I have and I never use any other flour. Thanks!
I never tried it, Mariah, so I am not sure! 🙂
This dish was Amazing and SO easy to do, it will become a new family favourite!
I am in England and I had to vary the stated quantities somewhat though, as the batter turned into a dough!!
I also used ground ginger as I had no fresh and reduced the heat to suit the family, by reducing the paprika, cayenne pepper and peppercorns. Also the garlic was reduced to what I perceived a normal amount for a 2 person meal (1 clove).
Hope this helps those people who are cooking this in England!
??
So the batter ingredients for me were as follows:
60g chickpea / plain flour
30g cornflour
120ml plant-based milk
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
250g – 1 medium head of cauliflower/broccoli cut into bite-sized florets
Sauce:
120ml of water
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cornflour
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
For the skillet:
2 tsp oil or water
1 large clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1 small/medium pepper sliced into fine strips
1 tsp sesame seeds
fresh chives chopped
peanuts (optional)
Well worth a go!
We loved it
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Angie! Greetings to England. 🙂
Woah, knocked it out of the park with this one. Added shiitake mushrooms with the peppers and it did not disappoint. Didn’t add the ginger, and it still tasted phenomenal. Great dish! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Great! Thanks for your wonderful feedback, Brian. 🙂
Great taste but would double the sauce next to time.
Thanks for your feedback, Marianne! 🙂
Hello Ela! Just did the recipe! It’s amazing! Thanks again!
I have 1 question though. When I put the cauliflower in the oven at the first step, after I took it out some of it was stuck at the parchment paper. Do you have any idea why this happened?
Thanks again! Loved it!
Greetings from Cyprus 🙂
Hi Eliana, I think it could help if you would grease the parchment paper with a little oil before you add the cauliflower. 🙂
Greetings to Cyprus. 🙂
Hi,
The recepie looks wonderful. Is it possible to use something else inatead of cornstarch? Would potato starch be okay or are these two very different?
Looking forward to try it!
All the best for you,
Pille
Hi, potato starch should work as well. 🙂
I cooked this recipe w jasmine rice. I’m wondering if the batter step is necessary and if i should just stir fry the cauliflower w some olive oil next time. The flavors of the sauce were good!
It’s not necessary, Jamillah! 🙂
Made this tonight. Great flavor! Will cook cauliflower less time in the oven, as it was overcooked and mushy. And will add ground pepper instead of peppercorns. But big hit! Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks for your feedback, Kate. 🙂
Made this delicious Kung Pao on Sunday night having leftovers tonight plus hubby took some for his lunch yesterday
Posted a photo on Instagram this morning & made sure to @elavegan & #elavegan…was very Happy with my effort…thanks Viv
I am glad you liked the recipe, Viv! 🙂
This was delicious and very filling! Made it over rice noodles. Re-heated the next day by baking the cauliflower again and it got nice and crispy! Will definitely make this again – thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Sounds fantastic! Thanks a lot for your amazing feedback, Mindy! 🙂
I usually like many of your recipes (thank you!) and many come out well. But this just didn’t work at all. Given all the many positive comments, made a huge batch which am going to try and salvage into something else. The batter was fine but the cauliflower didn’t bake well…the temperature of the oven was fine, the length of time was fine…even extended the time in the oven. The batter was as per the recipe. It was just a big ‘blah’. Also way too many peppercorns. The sauce was again just ‘blah’. I put the cauliflower back in the oven with the sauce to get it more crispy/baked and just didn’t happen. All 5 of us didn’t like it and didn’t finish it. Sorry….not trying to be overly negative, but being honest. When things are great, happy to compliment but likewise, if it doesn’t work out, sharing that as well.
So sorry you didn’t like the recipe, Mike!
This definitely a keeper. The cauliflower could easily pass as very tender chicken. Going to serve it to guess this weekend.Thanks for a great recipe
Thank you for the great feedback, Rita. Would be awesome if you could also leave a rating for the recipe! 🙂
Ela should partner with the United States Public School Systems to create recipes that support a plant-based diet for students. Ela is an expert for sure.
https://youtu.be/yjr9TZjTqIM
Love this recipe Ela! Love the different ways you share on how to make cauliflower into delicious comfort meals. Dee xx
Thanks so much, Dee! I am glad you like it. 🙂
Much love, Ela
I made this last night- very good! Personal preference will be to skip the batter next time and just coat some steamed cauliflower in the sauce. It would save time and still have all the flavour. Excellent recipe regardless!
So glad you loved the recipe, Jenn! Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
I was wondering what to do with my cauliflower, and I stumbled upon this recipe. Oh wow! It turned out even better Thani expected! So hearty and satisfying. Thanks for another keeper! ?
That’s wonderful! Thanks for your great feedback, Ali. 🙂
Made this tonight and it turned out amazing!! So flavorful. I didn’t make it spicy because my son doesn’t care for spicy food. Thank you for all the lovely delicious recipes!!
This will definitely be something we make again and again!!
Love Chinese food… I will try the recipe
Great! I hope you will love the recipe. 🙂
WONDERFUL recipe!! I had a huge head of cauliflower so doubled all the other ingredients. We ate this two nights in a row, first with rice and then reheated in the oven and served with noodles. The noodles win over rice. Really tasty, thank you! Even our three little dogs were begging for cauliflower, LOL. Glad there was enough to go around. I’m looking forward to trying your other creations. Keep up the excellent work!
Yay, that’s awesome! So happy you all loved the recipe (including the dogs, haha!). Thanks for your great feedback, Zernike. 🙂
Love Chinese food and spicy cauliflower ?
Looks so delicious!
Thank you, Bianca! Chinese food is very delicious, I agree. 🙂
This recipe was a breeze to make and incredibly delicious. Hints of sweet, spicy and savory all combine for a truly authentic dish. Even my super picky father devoured it. Not a single recipe on this site has disappointed me yet – Please keep them coming!!
Wow! I am super pleased you and your father loved this recipe! Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback, Janet! 🙂
I just made this recipe, absolutely delicious. Thank you very much for sharing. ?
You are very welcome, Lily! I am so pleased you liked the recipe. 🙂
This look amazing!!! Will try.
Amazing! I hope you will like it, Zdenka. 🙂
Hello,
Can I use Tapioca flour rather than cornstarch?
Thanks.
I believe it could work! 🙂
This was so wonderful, I did use regular flour. It was better after it sat awhile. This was my first recipe I have used of yours. I now am a believer in your recipes. I thought I would try something I had doubts about. I have only been vegan since right after Thanksgiving. I am 66 and my grandaughter helped me realize it is never to late to start a new way of living. Next up is your cheese sauce made with nutritioal yeast.
Wow, your comment made my day! I am so glad to hear that you liked this recipe. And, I absolutely agree, it’s never too late to change old habits! Thanks so much for your wonderful comment, Carol! 🙂
We made this for dinner this evening and it was amazing . We served it with brown rice. I used all purpose flour and it did come out a bit gummy when I baked it , but still delish. Next time I will buy the chick pea flour . Thank you for all the tasty recipes and detailed posts .
Sounds great! Thanks a lot for your thorough feedback, Jan. 🙂
Hi~what type of flour I can substitute chickpea flour?? Can I use rice flour??
Hi Irene, I just answered the question in the comment above. I would suggest using gluten-free all-purpose flour (or regular flour if not gluten-free) instead of chickpea flour.
What would be a good substitute if I don’t have chickpea flour? If using.tofu instead of cauliflower, how much tofu should be used?
Hi Isla! I would suggest using gluten-free all-purpose flour (or regular flour if not gluten-free) instead of chickpea flour. Also, I would recommend one 12oz or 14oz block of extra firm tofu.
Monday is Ela Day. Evey monday I am cooking something from your blog and its always a blast. This one will make us happy today 🙂
Love this! Thanks so much for sharing, Katharina! 🙂
You are amazing, your food has changed my life?
You are so sweet to say this! Very happy you like my recipes! 🙂
Made this dish as soon as I saw the recipe! On the train home from work wondering what to make for dinner, this popped up on my instagram feed and when I saw how simple it was I was sold. Such bold flavors and a method anyone can use. Highly recommend! Also I put the cauliflower back in the oven after coating with the sauce- worth it!
Fantastic! I am so pleased you loved the recipe, Chole! Thanks so much for your incredible feedback. 🙂
I’ve been vegetarian and 80% vegan. I am always looking for new vegan dishes! Thank you for this recipe idea! All your recipes look so good Ela
Thanks so much, Welina! I hope you will like this recipe and many others as well. 🙂
Omg! This will be so yummy! ??? I just cooked your sweet potato curry and it was amazing!! Even my meat eating friends were amazed ?? I will make that cauliflower next time ! ❤
So happy you liked the sweet potato curry, Gosia! Hope you will also love the Kung Pao Cauliflower! 🙂
Love this recipe and those pictures. Lately, I´m addicted to cauliflower, so this is the perfect recipe for me! Thanks for sharing this recipe Ela. Definitely have to try it 🙂
Happy Sunday
Thank you, dear, Melanie! So glad you love the pictures. I hope you will give the recipe a try! 🙂